Hours of Operation

Restaurant 

  8:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Breakfast
  12 noon - 4:00 p.m. Lunch
 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Dinner

Country Inn Lodging
8:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. daily

History

Back in the "Boom Days" of the 1920's, Carl and Bertha Hinshaw Sr. moved to the quiet community of Lake of the Hills, north of Lake Wales, Florida, to be near her aging parents.  A short while later they found themselves in business with J.L. Kraft, head of the Kraft Cheese Company.  Together with Kraft, they developed plans to create a lovely community with golf and other amenities on their acreage.

Shortly after construction began, the Great Depression ended the real estate boom in Florida.  Most investors, including Mr. Kraft, withdrew from their expansive plans and returned north.  Then, during a harsh winter in 1931, Carl Hinshaw Sr., age 47, developed pneumonia and passed away.  Carl's widow, Bertha was left with their home, one "do-everything" servant, and two young children.

The Hinshaws had always traveled and entertained a great deal, so Bertha, a determined and gutsy lady, decided to make a living for her family doing what she knew best, making people feel at home.

Thus, in 1931, was born Suzanne's Chalet, named after her only daughter.  (Actually, the business was first known as Suzanne's Tavern, which drew inquiries as to the type of venture Bertha might be operating.  The name was permanently changed to Chalet Suzanne some while later).

A week after putting a small sign out on State Highway 8 (now State Road 17), the first family of travelers stopped by to visit.  They loved the food, friendship and unique atmosphere the Chalet offered and subsequently returned year after year to relax and be entertained by Bertha and her children. 

Soon after her first visitors departed, Mr. and Mrs. Duncan Hines were touring Florida and discovered Suzanne's Chalet.

They were so enthralled that the Hines' included the Chalet in a Christmas card list they had written to send to their friends.  It was a catalogue of wonderful places to stay and dine on the way to and from Florida.  Of course, from this list grew Adventures in Good Eating by Duncan Hines, one of the first leisure travel books in the United States, and the Chalet Suzanne was always listed prominently in those pages.  We should all know how the rest of the Duncan Hines story evolved.  His food products are available throughout the world today.

With son Carl Jr. and daughter Suzanne helping, Chalet Suzanne grew in popularity.  Then World War II began and Carl, a pilot, went off to do his patriotic duty.  Suzanne grew wings as well when she married a favorite guest, Ernest Otto, and moved to New York City.

Then, with Bertha tending to the business alone, tragedy struck.  At three a.m., a fire began in the kitchen.  Despite the efforts of many of the local residents and the volunteer fire department, the main house with the dining rooms burned to the ground.  For quite some time after the fire, Central Florida citizens felt the loss of the Chalet Suzanne, as it had already become a landmark for the area.

After the war, Carl returned from the Pacific to help his mother rebuild.  Since there was no money and few building materials available, one wing of the stable and several outbuildings were added to the family play room, which still stood over the lake.  A chicken house and an old help house were added as well, giving the new dining rooms fourteen different levels.  This might help explain the unusual architecture of the Chalet Suzanne restaurant.

The Hinshaw family has always run Chalet Suzanne.  Four generations have lived and worked on the property.  Though the family is dedicated to the tradition of excellence passed down through the generations, improvements are always underway to the grounds and operations.

A favorite of celebrities, Chalet Suzanne has a proud heritage and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  On the property are five dining rooms, 30 guest rooms, a landing strip for airplanes, a gift shop, the Ceramic Salon, and Soup Cannery.  Today Chalet Suzanne is a Mobil 3 Star restaurant and has been selected by Uncle Ben's Rice as one of the Top 10 Country Inns in the U.S. Chalet Suzanne has also been named to the Florida Trend Magazine's Golden Spoon Award "Hall of Fame."

The Chalet Suzanne Soup Cannery has a fascinating history of its own.  It was begun in 1956 by Carl Hinshaw Jr. in his garage.  After over forty years of production, his family recipes have found themselves in many noteworthy and unusual places.  They have been served in all of the Governors' Mansions, at the World's Fair, and aboard TWA and Eastern Airlines international flights.

Best of all, though, they were selected by NASA and the crew of Apollo 15, thanks to Lunar Module Pilot, James B. Irwin, to be aboard their trip to the moon in 1973.  The soups also went into space on Apollo 16 and even the Russians chose these fine soups for their joint dinner meeting in space on Apollo-Soyuz.

Romaine®, our signature soup, is served with every meal at the Chalet Suzanne restaurant.  It can also be found with a special label, known as Moon Soup ®,  Thirteen unique gourmet soups and three sauces were developed by Carl and are sold in fine stores nationwide, shipped direct from our cannery.

If what you've read about their history is intriguing... if you agree that the Chalet Suzanne is someplace special... just try spending a little while with them.  Let them pamper you for an evening or a week.  Soon you'll feel like one of the family.  Then you, too, will become a part of our proud heritage!

                         The Hinshaw Family